Marine engine



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Jan. 1, 1929.

M. G. BARKER MARINE ENGINE Filed June 15, 1927 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE.

MERRILL G, BARKER, 0F NORWALK. CONNECTICUT, A SSIGNOR TO THE BARKER FAC- TORY, INC., 0]? NORIIVAIJK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MARINE ENGINE.

Application filed June 15, 1927. Serial No. 198,918.

This invention, while relating generally to marine motors, is more particularly concerned with the conversion of automotive engines to marine use by the application thereto of special devices adapting it to the somewhat dissimilar requirements of such service. For instance, motors for Ford cars if adapted to marine purposes will be found economical for the propulsion of small types of boats. Accordingly, the improvements herein are described with particular reference to their incorporationin Ford motors.

I11 my co-pending application, Serial No. 745,381, there are set forth and described means whereby a standard Ford motor may be adapted to marine purposes. These means include a water pump mounted at the front of the engine and driven by the cam shaft and means to remount the standard timer so as to afford space for the water pump, the timer also being driven by the cam shaft. There is also set forth and described in the said application means whereby the propeller shaft may be adapted to the specific requirements of a propeller shaft for a marine engine. This application, which is a division of my said application, Serial No. 745,381, is concerned specifically with such last named improvements.

In order to adapt the propeller shaft for use with a marine engine it is necessary to provide means to afford a greater degree of angularity therefor and to resist the axial thrust impressed thereon by the churning propeller. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide for such angularity and to resist such thrust.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means to retain the oil within the transmission housing of the engine and to exclude dirt and water therefrom.

Accordingly, the transmission shaft is connected through a universal joint to the end of the transmission shaft in the transmission casing. The propeller shaft is journaled proximate its end in a sleeve which is formed with a spherical end. The spherical end of the sleeve is secured within the transmission casing by means of spherical retaining rings which are bolted thereto. In order to relieve the universal joint of axial thrusts impressed upon the shaft a collar is pinned to the shaft proximate the outer end of the sleeve and a thrust bearing interposed between the collar and the sleeve.

In this manner all axialthrusts impressed upon the shaft are transmitted to the tranmission casing and are not impressed upon the universal joint.

The invention may be more fully ascertained from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompany drawings. In the drawings: a I

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of amotor showing the propeller shaft connected thereto in accordance with the invention to adapt it to marineuses.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in plan, and partly in section, showing the universal connection and the means to transmit thrusts to the transmission casing.

As the description proceeds it will appear that some of the features of the invention may be useful in adapting other types of 7 motor than the Ford to marine usage and for that reason the drawings illustrate the engine itself very conventionally although the front and rear ends correspond to those of a Ford motor.

Ihe propeller shaft or is connected at its end a with the element 6 of a universal joint 5, the other element 5 of which is connected to the crank shaft of the engine through a transmission within the housing 0. The end a of the propeller shaft is journaled beyond the universal joint 1) within a sleeve cl which is formed with a spherical end 0? which is secured within the transmis sion casing 0 by means of retaining rings a, 0 The retaining rings a, c are of generally spherical form and are bolted to the easing by bolts 0 A packing strip 6 may be interposed between the ring 0 and the spherical end at of the sleeve in order to retain oil within the transmission casing and to exclude water and foreign substances there from. In order to relieve the universal joint I) of axial thrusts impressed'upon the shaft by the propeller a collar 9 is pinned to the shaft proximate the end of the sleeve further from the universal oint and a thrust bearing 7L interposed between the collar and the sleeve. In this way axial thrusts will be transmitted from the propeller shaft through the bearing 72. and the sleeve cl to the transmission casing 0 through the rings 0 0 It will be apparent that the spherical end of the sleeve d and the spherical rings 0",

0 permit the propeller shaft to assume any necessary angular position. Further, the improved ring structure co-operating with the sleeve through its spherical end serves to hold the shaft a in proper alignment and, since the universal joint is disposed at the center of the spherical portions to keep the universal joint properly centered. By means of the collar g and the thrust hearing It the universal joint is completely relieved of axial thrusts impressed upon the propeller shaft which are instead transmitted directly to the transmission casing.

Nothing which has been said in the foregoing specification is to be considered a limitation upon the scope of the invention ex cept as indicated in the following claims.

What I claim is: V

1. In combination with an automotive engine, a propeller and shaft for marine use connected therewith, a sleeve through which the shaft extends from the engine casing, a spherical end on said sleeve, socket means carried with the casing to receive said spherical end for angular adjustment of the shaft, and a collar secured to the shaft in proxmity to the outer end of the sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to resist axial thrust from the shaft.

2. In combination with an automotive engins, a propeller and shaft for marine use connected therewith, said shaft being connected with the engine through a universal joint, a sleeve on the end of the shaft proximate the universal joint, a spherical end on said sleeve, spherical rings bolted to the engine casing and receiving the spherical end of the sleeve, said universal joint being disposed at the center of the spherical portions,

MERRILL G, BARKER. 

